This week on Monday, Prostate Cancer Day, the Norwegian Cancer Society initiated their Blue-Ribbon Campaign to raise prostate cancer awareness. In line with the campaign, Oslo Cancer Cluster gives you the chance to update yourselves on prostate cancer research Thursday the 30th of November.

The Blue-Ribbon campaign is initially a month’s focus on prostate cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancers we know. On average, every day three people die of prostate cancer in Norway alone. Over the length of a year, that number climbs above 5000 and they are all exclusively male.

For 20 years the Pink-Ribbon Campaign has been synonymous with awareness of breast cancer, a form of cancer that almost exclusively affect women. The movement was a success and brought a lot of attention and money for breast cancer research. Now, the attention turns to men and prostate cancer.

Research Needed
— I think we will receive a lot of attention with this campaign. The disease affects so many and is under communicated. Men often keep this type of information to themselves. And importantly, we need more research on the subject, says Anne Lyse Ryel, Secretary General at the Norwegian Cancer Society.

First and foremost, the campaign aims to lift prostate cancer into the limelight. Subsequently lifting taboos and increasing awareness among men and the population at large. Next in line is money for research. It is severely needed because reaching 2030, estimates predict an 40 percent increase on the frequency of prostate cancer.

An Update on Prostate Cancer
However, research is very much ongoing. And, if you are wondering what the most current research on prostate cancer entails? Visit Oslo Cancer Cluster’s R&D Network Meeting that Thursday the 30th of November focuses on exactly prostate cancer research. It can serve as a very informative conclusion to a month of prostate cancer awareness. Listen to prominent experts explaining current research and where prostate cancer research is heading in the future.

Oslo Cancer Cluster`s next member meeting will be an R&D Network Meeting on “Conjugated antibodies”. This will take place October 29th at the Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital.

The R&D Network will focus on opportunities and challenges with conjugated antibodies, new treatment options and the clinical perspectives on the use of antibody-drug conjugates. The program also include an update on funding opportunities from the Norwegian Research Council and Innovation Norway.

More than 170 people kicked-off the Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Parkat the annual Oslo Cancer Cluster Summer Meeting. The Innovation park opens in less than a year, and for the first time participants from the cluster could come in side the Park.

The Radium Hospital Foundation (Radiumhospitalets Legater) will support the Oslo Cancer Clusters R&D Network Meetings 2014, and collaborate closely with the cluster on developing these meetings.

Oslo Cancer Clusters R&D Network Meetings are the backbone of the clusters strategic goal to stimulate collaborations and partnership by further develop strong national and international networks.

Important for partnering and innovation
The R&D Network Meetings target the members and collaborators of the cluster and is usually held five to six times annually. Each R&D Network Meeting is focused on a specific oncology theme, featuring speakers and angles from basic research to pharma, encouraging interdiciplinary and multi-diciplinary comptence development and partnering.

“The R&D Network Meetings contribute to important networking for the researchers at the Radium Hospital. In addition it gives the participants the opportunity to keep up to date in the ever changing field of cancer research,” says Karl-Erik Giercksky, Clinical Advisor at the Radium Hospital Foundation.

Ketil Widerberg, General Manager of the Oslo Cancer Cluster is very grateful for the support: “The contribution from the Radium Hospital Foundation to our R&D Network Meetings is very important and will contribute to the importance of connecting the members of the cluster further. This is vital to drive and stimulate oncology innovations for the benefit of the cancer patients.”

The Radium Hospital Foundation
The Radium Hospital Foundation is built from gifts and donations given from people, organisations and large companies alike. These contributions enable The Radium Hospital to maintain their place as a world leading Comprehensive Cancer Center by supporting cancer research and excellent patient care.